WHAT IS A.F.L.?

  

 a.f.l ball (above)

AFL History

Tom Wills is one of the people who started the Australian Football League (AFL). In 1857 he encouraged cricketers to play AFL as a way of keeping fit in winter.

The game was formed by Wills and his cousins H.Harrison, W.Hamersley and J.Thompson.

The Melbourne football club was formed on August 7, 1858 and Geelong Football Club in 1859.

In 1897 the League’s first games began with Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Fitzroy, Geelong, Melbourne, St Kilda and South Melbourne.

                                                                

This line-up of 12 clubs would remain unchanged until 1987 when the competition expanded to include the West Coast Eagles and the Brisbane Bears. . BY 1997, the competition comprised of 16 clubs after Adelaide (in 1991), Fremantle (in 1995), and Port Adelaide (in 1997) joined the now Australian Football League and  Fitzroy merged with the Brisbane Bears to form the Brisbane Lions (after the 1996 season).

                      

Local A.F.L clubs

In Newcastle there are 10 clubs. One of the clubs is Newcastle City Junior Australian Football Club. Their home ground is No. 1 Sportsground, Parry and Union streets, Newcastle.

It is one of the biggest clubs in the Hunter area. The ground is well known in Newcastle and is located in the centre of the city. There are 4 teams in the junior club.

                                                     The Sydny Swans holding grand finel trophy (below)